Sleep Easy: Gentle Nightly Rest For Your Nervous System

Find a comfortable position.

And as you listen to my voice,

There's nothing you need to do.

Nothing to figure out.

Nothing to fix.

You don't need to make sleep happen.

You can simply allow it.

As you're laying in your bed now,

Supported,

You don't need to hear every word.

Your subconscious mind will continue receiving what is helpful for you,

Even as you rest.

But before we begin,

You may notice whether your body wants to make any final small adjustments,

Or maybe you're already settled in.

As you let your body find the place where it can settle most easily,

And when it feels right,

Allow your eyes to gently close if you haven't closed them already.

Begin by noticing the surface beneath you,

The way your body is already being held.

You may notice certain points of contact more clearly than others.

Or you may simply sense the overall weight of your body resting.

With each inhale and exhale,

You may sense your body softening just a little more.

No need to know how long this takes.

Some moments may feel slow.

Others may pass without being noticed at all.

And just bring your awareness now to your eyelids,

Noticing how heavy and relaxed they are.

And as we go inward,

Now begin to notice any sounds that are around you.

Perhaps the closest sounds to you stand out first.

Or maybe the more distant ones are easier to notice tonight.

There's no need to focus on any one sound.

They can come and go on their own.

But with each sound you notice,

It allows you to go into a deeper state of rest and safety.

Every sound is simply a part of the environment that's holding you.

As you tune in and tune out,

You may notice your awareness moving gently between sounds and sensations.

Between inside and outside.

There's no need to track this.

Now bring your attention inward to a place in your body that feels neutral or comfortable to rest your awareness in.

This place is different from the rest.

It's different for everyone.

It might be your chest or your belly.

Or maybe it's the crown of your head.

Or maybe it's a sense of weight through the center of your body.

There's no right place.

You simply notice when your attention settles on it on its own.

As your awareness rests there,

You may sense a gentle rhythm.

A subtle movement.

A quiet aliveness of your body being here.

Nothing to change.

Just allowing yourself to notice that steadiness and comfort and safety.

In that spot in your body.

Allowing you to ground and soften.

Your body knows how to rest.

As we continue,

You may notice you come in and out of awareness.

That's okay.

You might notice your breathing is slower and steadier.

And you may connect to a deeper rhythm all on your own.

You'll notice spaces between your thoughts grow wider.

And you may simply just drift off to sleep without noticing either.

This is your experience.

And it's going to unfold exactly as you need it to today.

And from here,

My voice will guide you as you sleep,

As you drift,

As you rest deeply.

Allow your body to remain exactly as it is.

Supported,

Held.

Nothing to do.

You are resting now.

As you feel the surface beneath you,

The weight of your head,

The length of your spine,

The heaviness of your legs.

Nothing needs to change.

Nothing needs to be fixed.

This moment requires nothing from you.

Your breathing is happening on its own.

The rise,

The fall.

Steady,

Automatic,

Reliable.

Notice your body resting there.

The water is calm.

The weight of it.

The temperature of the air on your skin.

The stillness.

Feel where your body makes contact with the surface beneath you.

Your head,

Your shoulders.

Your back,

Your legs,

Your feet.

You're completely supported.

The surface beneath you is holding your entire body.

Bring your awareness to your breath.

Its natural rhythm.

The rise and the fall.

Nothing to change.

Nothing to improve.

Your body knows how to breathe.

Your nervous system knows how to rest.

You're simply allowing what is already there and available to you.

Notice the space around you.

The quiet.

The stillness.

This space is yours.

This time belongs to you.

And there's nothing required of you here.

You are safe.

You are resting.

And you are grounded.

And as you rest here in this safety,

We're going to ask your subconscious mind to bring awareness to a specific pattern that's been operating.

It's this pattern that's been responsible for disrupting your sleep.

For keeping you alert.

And for trying to keep watch at night.

If it's ready,

It will make itself known.

Nothing for you to do.

This pattern formed for one reason only.

Safety.

At some point in your life,

Being aware at all times mattered.

Rest didn't feel available or possible.

It was more important to stay rested.

Ready when necessary.

The specific circumstances do not matter now.

What matters is that this pattern was formed to keep you safe.

This pattern formed to protect you.

And in this moment,

Its effort is acknowledged.

This pattern has been loyal,

Consistent,

Dedicated.

It has shown up night after night doing the job it was formulated to do.

And while this pattern exists,

And it's been doing its job,

You might want to notice where this pattern lives in your body.

Perhaps you feel it as tension in your jaw.

Or maybe it's a tension in your shoulders.

Or a knot in your belly.

Maybe it shows up as a constriction in your chest.

Or a buzzing in your head.

Or maybe you don't feel it in your body at all.

Perhaps you simply know it's there.

A presence.

An energy.

A breath.

A part of you that remains activated.

Whatever you notice,

Or don't notice,

Is exactly right for you.

We'll just simply acknowledge its presence.

And acknowledge that this part has been staying awake to protect you.

You might even sense this part or pattern as a shape,

A color,

Or a texture.

You might see flashes of it clearly in your mind's eye.

Or maybe you sense it vaguely.

All of your experiences are valid.

We know that this part has been working hard.

Night after night,

Year after year,

Believing its vigilance was required.

But we're going to speak to this part now,

In your mind's eye.

My words will guide you.

As we speak to this part,

We say,

Thank you for trying to keep me safe.

I sense you.

And I understand what you've been doing for me.

You have been working to protect me.

For all of this time.

This part of you deserves to be seen,

To be acknowledged,

To be thanked for its service.

And as this recognition is offered,

Your body responds in its own way.

Sensations may shift,

Soften,

Move,

Or deepen.

There's no right response.

Just simply noticing.

And ever so gently,

With deep compassion,

We'll speak to this part again.

I am safe now.

The conditions that required your vigilance are in the past.

They're not present here.

Not now.

Not in this bed.

Not in this moment.

You've been working for so long.

You've been holding this responsibility for so long.

You've been keeping watch for so long.

Now,

In this moment,

You are safe.

You can finally rest.

You are free.

Because I am safe.

As these words are received,

The experience will unfold in its own way.

All of it is welcome.

All of it is allowed.

This part,

This pattern,

May need to hear these words again.

You can rest now.

You can be at ease now.

Your work is complete.

You've done well keeping me safe.

You can sleep now.

This part is now free to release its role and to simply rest.

To settle.

To sleep.

We'll offer this part a choice.

This part can choose a new role.

It supports your subconscious mind to rest.

It can support peace.

It can support your mind.

Or it can support safety.

Perhaps this part becomes the part of you that can rest easily.

The part of you that trusts the night.

The part of you that knows sleep is safe.

Perhaps it becomes the part that tends to your restoration while you sleep.

That supports recovery during your deep rest.

Or it may choose the second option.

This part may choose to dissolve completely.

To return to the light that it once came from.

To become pure essence again.

No job.

No responsibility.

Just freedom.

The choice is happening at a deeper level of mind than conscious thought.

There's nothing for you to do.

Perhaps witness.

But the process unfolds without effort.

The transformation occurs in whatever way is natural and acceptable to this part.

As this part releases its role,

The body adjusts naturally.

The place where this part and pattern once operated changes in its own way.

Sensations softening.

Or simply just being quieter.

Your body is learning to settle into a new pattern of rest.

Your body believes rest is safe and it's available.

Sleeping is natural now.

Sleeping is safe now.

You have permission to move into your natural sleep cycle.

There's nothing for you to notice.

It'll all happen below your awareness.

At the deepest levels of mind.

As your awareness fades even more now,

Thoughts may seem like fragments,

Images,

Nothing.

There's nothing to carry.

Nothing to solve.

Nothing is being missed.

The tasks of your day are complete.

What remains can be held without urgency.

You are safe.

Your body is supported.

This moment requires nothing.

And rest continues all on its own.

Sleep is your birthright.

Your body knows how to do this.

You've slept before.

All through the night deeply.

And you will do it again.

Now your subconscious mind understands protection now means rest.

Restoration.

Repair.

That's the deep work that happens only in sleep.

This is a necessity.

This is how your body operates in its natural state.

And you,

You're allowed to receive this.

You're allowed to let go.

You're allowed to trust rest.

It's safe to sleep.

It's safe to be still.

You're supported by the surface beneath you.

Asleep happens naturally.

Relaxation unfolds all on its own.

Letting go is already happening.

Your body's designed for this.

There's nothing left to do.

Nothing to carry.

Nothing left to manage.

Your body remains supported.

You're still safe.

And as your awareness continues to fade,

Sleep is yours.

Healing is yours.

You can rest now.